


Sunshine and Gunpowder

by jungle_ride



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 16:37:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11971359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jungle_ride/pseuds/jungle_ride
Summary: Set during season 2, right after it's revealed Neal is Henry's Father.Henry lets out a deep sigh and runs a hand over his face in exasperation. Judging by the profanity that’s slipped from his lips, Rumple suspects the younger boy may have forgotten his presence entirely.





	Sunshine and Gunpowder

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dragonbat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonbat/gifts).



“We’ll be back soon.” Emma says; squeezing Henry’s shoulder as Neal opens the door for them to leave.

“See you later kiddo.” Neal flashes him a grin accompanied with a sly wink. Emma scowls at him as she walks past, lips pursed together. Neal rolls his eyes at her in reply, shutting the door behind him.

“I wonder if they can manage not to kill each other,” Henry ponders out loud. “I doubt it though. Probably arguing over me already. Why does there always have to be some fucking drama."

Henry lets out a deep sigh and runs a hand over his face in exasperation. Judging by the profanity that’s slipped from his lips, Rumple suspects the younger boy may have forgotten his presence entirely. Easily done. Lurking unnoticed in dark corners was just part of being the 'dark one'.

“Oh I wouldn’t worry lad, I’m sure they can brave it.” Rumple declares, alerting his presence to the unsuspecting boy. Jumping out of his skin with a yelp, Henry whirls around.

“Oh, Mr. Gold, it’s you.” He pants, hand clutching at his chest. Rumple leans against the window ledge, watching on as Henry’s face slowly beings to pale. No doubt the boy was currently replaying his previous profanity filled rant.

“Umm could you maybe not, tell them I just said all that?” Henry gestures to himself and then the door, cheeks reddening. For a moment Rumple considers keeping him on the hook, knowing how useful it was to have the upper hand in all relationships. Henry gulps and bites his bottom lip.

“Wouldn’t dream of it lad.” Rumple reassures him instead. The boy was family after all. Besides he was trying to not fall back into bad habits. Running a hand across his lips, Rumple mimics locking it shut and throwing away the key. Henry laughs, the sound bubbling out of him, warm and bright. Like sunshine, Rumple thinks, a ghost of a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

“Thanks.” Henry grins up at him, a twinkle in his eye. It strikes Rumple then just how much he reminds him of a young Bae. Now that he reflects on it, Rumple wonders if that had been the reason he hadn’t involved himself in the boy’s life sooner. He could have had a lot of fun using Henry to ruffle Regina’s feathers during those twenty-eight years of captivity, but he's always maintained his distance. He wonders now if it was because Henry has always been a reminder of the son he’d lost.

They share the same boyish smile, so full of joy, eyes brimming with hope. It had been painful today, to see Bae void of that same innocence, painful now to see Henry full of it. Rumple knows he harbours the blame for what happened to Bae and it weighs heavy on him. Although Rumple has never been good at keeping promises, he makes a silent vow to himself now that he will not do the same to Henry.

“So you want to play a game?” Henry asks a moment later, catching Rumple off guard.

"A game?" Rumple repeats dubiously raising an eyebrow.

Rumple has played many games in his lifetime. All of them have had a devious plan at their core. Although Rumple’s sure Henry doesn't have anything as cunning in mind, he’s cautious all the same. After all, somewhere in this boys DNA lay his own. A fact Rumple is still fully processing. Although not often caught off guard, this particular new addition to his family tree has left him a little shaken.      

Henry, however, seems mainly unaffected. Taking the whole 'your father is alive, and the son of Rumplestiltskin’ in his stride. Apart from his earlier retreat to the balcony, the occasional death glare he’s been sending Emma behind her back when he thinks no one’s looking (Rumple is always looking).

Despite his apparent composer, Rumple suspects there may be an explosion waiting to happen within Henry. He might be a pure optimist (Rumple suspects he gets that from the Charming’s) but there is also gunpowder in his veins (he could thank Rumple for that). Rumple wonders if Henry has simply grown accustomed to hiding it. Burying his hurt deep within his bones, that has now become second nature. Rumple knows a thing or two about that. Knows enough not to prod.

“So what do you think?” Henry pipes up interrupting Rumple's musings.

“About the game,” he explains, a heartbeat later, when it’s clear Rumple has no idea what he’s talking about. “I think I saw Scrabble on a bookshelf somewhere in here.”

“Uh. No, my lad. I’m afraid I have to give that a pass.” It comes out on reflex. Years of keeping walls and distance between him and everyone that could potentially make him feel have taken their toll on his social skills.

“Oh. Ok.” Henry says, face looking a little crest fallen. Rumple hates the way it makes something twinge uncomfortably in his chest.

Sitting down with a sigh Henry looks around the room aimlessly. His face is scrunched up in an expression that clearly says ‘get me out of here.' Or at least that's how Rumple interrupts it. The thought stabs him like a knife in the back, leaving behind an aching hole desperate to be filled. Rumple does actually want the kid to like him.

“Henry.” He begins, not quite sure what he was planning to say.

“So do I call you Grandpa now or…” Henry asks, cutting him off. Rumple blanches. He hadn’t expected that.

 _Grandpa._ Something about the word has his nose wrinkling in disgust.

 _Grandpa._ An image of Prince Charming flashes before his eyes.

 _Grandpa._ That was not a role Rumple could play.

 _Papa._ The word comes to him like a long forgotten friend; shy and unsure.

 _Papa._ It feels natural. Like putting on an old coat. He’d been a papa once.

Although when it had come down to it, Rumple had failed in spectacular fashion. He can’t help but wonder if he might be able to get it right the second time around, with both his boys. _His_ boys.

“Mr. Gold will do fine.” Rumple says instead because he’s always been cowardly when it comes to matters of the heart. Henry nods his acceptance, shrugging like it means nothing, though the disappointment in his eyes is easy to see.

“Perhaps when we get back to Storybook I could show you around my shop," Rumple suggests in a tentative attempt to fix his mistake.

“Yeah. Definitely, I’d like that a lot.” Henry says eagerly.

“Wonderful.” Rumple attempts a smile of his own, though he wonders if it comes out more creepy than affectionate. Henry only laughs, smile widening and damn it, this kid really was sunshine.


End file.
